AARP VI Testifies in Support of Bill No. 36-0003, an Act to Establish Nursing Home and Assisted Living Care Standards in the Virgin Islands

On July 7, 2025 AARP VI State Director, Troy De Charbet-Schuster was invited by Senator at Large, Angel L. Bolques, Jr. to testify before Honorable Senator Ray Fonseca, Chair of the Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services and the Senators of the 36^th Legislature. De Charbet-Schuster testified in favor of Bill No. 36-0003, an Act to Establish Nursing Home and Assisted Living Care Standards in the Virgin Islands.
 
“I am pleased to present this testimony in strong support of this legislation, sponsored by Senator Angel Bolques Jr. Today, I am here not only on behalf of the more than 22,000 AARP members living in this territory, but on behalf of the elders of this community and those generations to come. This bill signifies a monumental turning point in long-term care policy for the Virgin Islands,” stated De Chabert-Schuster.

De Chabert-Schuster went on to add that support must come with clarity, “AARP is concerned that unless this legislation is strengthened with clear federal Medicaid alignment and rooted in community-focused care, it risks replicating the very systems that continue to fail elders across the mainland United States. At AARP, our values are rooted in dignity, equity, and transparency. We believe all people—especially those living here in this territory – who are often excluded because of our geographic local—deserve care models that culturally sensitive and the untethered right to age in place with dignity. We also believe that this care can be delivered in an innovative appropriate way right here in our island home. As is stands, federal funding streams that have too long bypassed this community are available to us, if we do this right.”

AARP drafted a package of amendments that they presented to Senator Bolques, which highlighted the core values that can evolve Bill No. 36-0003 from promising to transformative:

• Expand Definitions for Justice-Aligned Care: The law must define terms such as Small Home Nursing Homes, Home, and Community-Based Services (HCBS), and person-centered planning in ways that align with Medicaid 1915 and 1115 waiver dollars to unlock federal partnership and opportunities for investment.

• Establish Transparent Licensing and Oversight: New licensing language must require clear staffing ratios, workforce training standards, and Green House Model alignment for small home care. This is how we ensure high quality, patient-centered care.

• Build a True Continuum of Care Plan—Not an Institution: This bill must pivot toward home- and community-based care as the ideal model of care. Virgin Islanders deserve more than nursing homes. We can build de-institutionalized, intergenerational, inclusive systems from the ground up.

• Codify the Right to Access and Oversight: Mandate the development and submission of Medicaid State Plan Amendments and federal Waiver applications by 2028. Prioritize local governance—including elders, caregivers, community advocates, and community leaders—in all oversight boards.

• Promote Equity, Accountability, and Workforce Development: Empower a new care workforce rooted in universal worker models. Require transparency, public reporting, and ongoing monitoring systems that protects both workers and those they serve.

Beyond the care benefits, this legislation can serve as a powerful economic driver for the Virgin Islands. Creating a system of Medicaid-supported small homes and HCBS programs would generate new employment opportunities in the caregiving and health services fields and pathways to private investments. It would allow Virgin Islanders to receive specialized training and fair wages while providing care to our elders within their communities. The bill, as amended, could serve not only as a care strategy but also as an economic development engine for the Virgin Islands – one that is most needed right now.

In closing, De Chabert-Shuster gave an impassioned call to action directed at both the USVI leadership, and to the VI community, “The time for us to act now has come. We have a rare opportunity to shape a system that not only meets compliance standards, but truly reflects the values, voices, and needs of all Virgin Islanders. The amendments we are proposing will strengthen this bill’s foundation and ensure that it fulfills its promise of creating a continuum of care that is just, comprehensive, and sustainable.

“AARP stands ready to work alongside this body to make this bill a beacon of what aging can look like. Not a hand-me-down system from the mainland. But a bold, homegrown future worthy of the elders who built this place—and the generations who will inherit it.”

Bill No. 36-0003 passed with a unanimous vote and amendments to this bill will be given further consideration next month.